# The Bell Jar: Esther's Warped View of Herself and of Reality Sylvia Plath's novel, *The Bell Jar*, is a haunting portrayal of a young woman's descent into mental illness. The protagonist, Esther Greenwood, is a talented and ambitious college student who lands a coveted internship in New York City. However, as the novel progresses, Esther's sense of self-worth and her perception of the world around her become increasingly distorted. Through Esther's experiences, Plath explores the complex relationship between mental illness and the construction of identity. Esther's warped view of herself is evident from the beginning of the novel. She describes herself as "odd" and "different" from her peers, and feels alienated from the world around her. Her sense of being an outsider is exacerbated by her perfectionist tendencies and her fear of failure. She is constantly striving to achieve excellence, but is never satisfied with her achievements. This self-criticism and lack of self-acceptance is a driving force behind Esther's …show more content…
And he was my doctor." - Esther Greenwood > Esther's relationship with her mother is also fraught with tension. Her mother represents the traditional role of women in society - she is a homemaker who is obsessed with Esther's appearance and social standing. Esther resents her mother's attempts to mold her into a certain type of woman, and feels that she will never be able to live up to her expectations. This conflict between Esther and her mother reflects the larger societal pressures that women faced in the 1950s. Women were expected to conform to certain gender roles, and those who deviated from these norms were often ostracized. > "I wanted to tell her that if only something were wrong with my body it would be fine, I would rather have anything wrong with my body than something wrong with my head, but the idea seemed so involved and wearisome that I didn't say anything." - Esther Greenwood